Tycoon's Delicious Debt

CHAPTER TWO

SERENA’S HEELS CLICKED against the floor as she approached the restaurant, the staccato beat matching the jittery pulse at the base of her throat. She reached the dramatic rounded archway and caught a tantalizing whiff of grilled meat and exotic spices. Glancing inside, she found the stark-white walls and blue tile accents bright and welcoming. Serena noticed most of the tables were occupied and instantly recognized a few famous faces.

She smoothed a hand over her hair, wishing it hadn’t taken ages to tame the waves into a sleek ponytail. Her hands had been clumsy earlier when she had fixed her hair and makeup. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. Everything was going as planned. She was in full armor now from her pink halter dress to her strappy stiletto heels.

She glanced down at the diamond bracelet encircling her wrist and paused. Memories crowded and overlapped in her mind. Some good, some bad. She remembered the day when her father had given the bracelet to her mother.

It had not been a special occasion. Her father never felt the need to wait for a celebration. He enjoyed presenting lavish gifts to her mother for no reason at all. She once thought these extravagant presents represented undying love. It was only when she was older that she’d realized there had been undercurrents of control and reward.

Serena remembered the surprise and pleasure in her mother’s glamorous face when she had opened the flat square box from her favorite jeweler’s. Serena also recalled the pride that shimmered from her father. The memory was so clear even after all these years because it was one of the last times she had seen those expressions from her parents.

Serena stood very still as she continued to stare at the bracelet. She remembered the defeat in her mother’s eyes when she had to sell the jewels after Felipe Dominguez’s business crumbled. At the time, Serena had silently sworn that one day she would have the money to buy back every piece of jewelry and return it to her mother.

It had taken her years and she had been so proud when she had hunted down this bracelet and bought it. She had taken it as a sign that their luck was changing for the better. Serena had presented it to her mother, promising to find the other jewels she had surrendered.

But her mother didn’t want them. In fact, Beatriz Dominguez had recoiled at the sight of the bracelet. The jewelry—and the memories that accompanied them—was tainted. The bracelet had represented a happier time, when the marriage between Felipe and Beatriz was solid and the family fortune was secure.

Serena rolled the bracelet around her wrist, accepting the sharp edges digging into her palm as she forced down the bitterness. Her mother may not want the jewels, but it had been important to Serena to keep them. They represented happier moments for her and her family. She had continued to track them down and buy them one piece at a time. She had not stopped in her mission until she had acquired every ring, necklace and hair ornament.

They were the only jewelry she owned. The only pieces she wore.

The bracelet was a talisman for her tonight. It served as a reminder of where she had been, what she had gone through and why she was doing this. It gave her focus to keep on this journey when the rest of her family wanted to forget.

“Boa noite, Senhora Dominguez,” the maître d’ welcomed her, his eyes lighting up with masculine pleasure. “Your guest is waiting for you at the bar.”

She hesitated, fiercely gripping her evening purse as the surprise rippled through her. Cooper Brock was already here? Before her? She had assumed he would be like most businessmen and arrive late in a failed attempt to set the tone of the evening. The fact that she hadn’t anticipated this maneuver sent a wisp of unease down her spine.

“Obrigada,” she replied softly as she turned to the bar where the older man gestured. It was her custom to arrive first and take early control of the battlefield. Cooper had taken her move. Why? The man relied on his family name and his charm to make things happen. Either he was eager to get this over with or he found her a worthy opponent.

She immediately saw Cooper. He was leaning against the carved wooden bar as if he didn’t have a care in the world. His light gray suit and white shirt opened at the neck accented his lean build. She took a moment to study her quarry as he stared at the drink in his hand.

Cooper Brock made her think of the mythical cowboys from the Wild West. She wasn’t sure why. Serena had never seen him wear a Stetson over his expensively tousled sandy-blond hair. But she knew he was a man who followed his own code of honor and would risk everything to protect his territory, his family and his woman. He may be the heir to an empire but Cooper created and controlled his own destiny.

She always thought that his craggy face matched his stubborn personality. It was all angles from his high cheekbones to the blade of his nose and the slash of his mouth. But it was his silver eyes that dominated his face. They were surprisingly expressive, at one moment playful and fierce the next.

Cooper glanced up sharply and her gaze clashed with his. Her heart leaped violently. She wanted to inhale deeply but the breath stole from her lungs. She was mesmerized as his features sharpened while he hunched his shoulders.

This time his eyes flashed with an unspoken challenge and she darted her gaze away. Her instincts screamed to keep him in her sight in case he pounced but she ignored it. Serena steadfastly refused to look at Cooper in the eye as she walked toward him, keenly aware of the sway of her hips and the way her silk dress grazed her bare legs. Her skin prickled as she felt his gaze drift along her curves. She wondered if the halter dress had been a poor choice.

When she had been getting ready for dinner there had been a moment when she considered covering herself from shoulder to knee. She had immediately discarded the idea. There was no need to hide or change her style. This dress was part of her armor, her carefully controlled image. She would not allow Cooper Brock to determine what she wore.

But as his attention rested on her full breasts, her nipples stinging as they tightened, Serena recalled why she had hesitated. She was used to men staring at her, wanting her. She often used their reactions to her advantage. She couldn’t do that with Cooper. She instinctively knew that if she taunted him, the power struggle between them would shift. The sensual mood she’d create would boomerang back and the desire she felt would be used against her.

Cooper Brock was definitely not a man to tease. The lust he had for her was barely restrained and it would not take much to unleash it. Just the thought of it made her skin heat and created a pulsating ache low in her belly. This reaction of hers was inconvenient. Distracting. Wrong.

“Serena,” Cooper said by way of greeting before he motioned for the bartender.

She requested a glass of wine and didn’t look in Cooper’s direction until it was necessary. “You’re here early,” she commented lightly, hoping it didn’t sound like a complaint. “You must be staying nearby.”

“I booked myself here in The Harrington.”

Her stomach gave a vicious twist. That close. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him being under the same terra-cotta tile roof. She wouldn’t be able to get away from him. A man like Cooper Brock couldn’t be contained by the bright white walls and iron grille windows. But Serena showed no reaction and waited for her drink under his intense gaze.

Cooper slugged back the rest of his drink. He grimaced from the bite of the hard liquor and set the crystal tumbler down with a thud. “Okay, Serena,” he said. “What do you want in exchange for the Alves land?”

She chuckled as she accepted the glass of wine from the bartender. “You Americans. So abrupt and aggressive,” she chided. “Do you realize that this is why I was able to swoop in and get the deal?”

Cooper scowled at her. “I don’t believe in wasting time.”

“You need to relax and socialize.” She turned, resting her elbows against the bar as she tilted her head back to meet his silvery-gray eyes. “Learn something about the person with whom you are negotiating. Having a grasp of their native language would be nice.”

“I make deals around the world. It would be inefficient—not to mention impossible—to learn all the languages.”

“Then don’t be surprised if I manage to swoop in and interfere with your deals again and again.” How many deals would she have to steal before he struggled with the same uncertainty she’d wrestled with every day for the past decade? It would never be enough. He would never know what it was like to have his security stolen from him, to be paralyzed with fear.

“I won’t let that happen.” His voice was rough with impatience. “Now, what do you want from me?”

“I am willing to give you the land,” she said. She had no use for the Alves property but he didn’t need to know that.

He tipped his head back and watched her closely. She knew his mind was whirring as he tried to determine the trap she was laying. “How much are you inflating the price?”

“I’m not.” She had toyed with the idea of making a profit from the exchange. Serena equated money with security and the more money she acquired, the more protection she had against the injustices of the world. She knew she could make money from the transaction but it was more important to focus on her main goal. “I will give you the land for the same amount that I paid.”

His eyes narrowed as he gave her a dark look of suspicion. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I want something more than money.” She took a sip of her wine and the fruity notes burst against her tongue. “I want the shares to The Harrington.”

His startled bark of laughter shattered the quiet atmosphere of the bar. “Hell, no.”

“Then I guess we have nothing to talk about.” She set down her wineglass, picked up her small purse and moved to leave.

He wrapped his hand around her wrist and stopped her. Her limbs went rigid as the wild energy coursed through her body from his simple touch. Serena stared at his dark and calloused hand that covered her diamond bracelet. The anger of seeing a Brock touching her mother’s jewelry warred with the traitorous need to yield to his hold.

“Why are you leaving?” Cooper’s voice was soft and husky. Almost intimate. “We’ve only started to negotiate.”

“I’m not here to barter,” she said coldly. She wasn’t going to fall for his charm. “I told you my price.”

“Why would I give up those shares?” he asked with a hint of incredulity. “Don’t you read the news?”

“Of course.” If Cooper had learned anything about her, he would know that her daily routine was consumed by gathering news and information. It was how she gained and protected her wealth.

“This is the worst time to sell or trade my shares. There’s a feud raging between the Chatsfields and the Harringtons,” Cooper reminded her. “The publicity has increased the bookings at The Harrington, increasing its value.”

She yanked out of his grasp but her skin still tingled from his touch. “Why else do you think I want it?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” He lowered his head, moving closer. She fought the urge to take a step back. “You apparently know my portfolio and you want something of lesser value? It doesn’t make sense.”

She thrust out her chin. “Perhaps I have sentimental reasons for wanting the shares.”

“A lovers’ weekend?” he said in a growl.

She raised an eyebrow. She did not like the possessive quality of his tone. “I’m not one of those women who gets sentimental about sex.”

“Good to know.” His eyes suddenly sparkled. Serena didn’t know if he was enjoying the thrust and parry of their conversation or if he was imagining a no-strings sexual escapade with her.

“This meeting is not an exploratory conversation,” she said in her haughtiest tone. “It’s not a discussion and it’s not the foundation for negotiations. I am telling you what I want in exchange for the Alves land.”

“Then this conversation is over. I am not giving up my shares.” Cooper thrust his hands in his pockets and gave a sharp nod to his head. “A pleasure as always, Serena.”

She waited until he began to stroll away. “I’m assuming you spoke to your father this afternoon,” she said.

Cooper paused and looked over his shoulder. His gray eyes were guarded but he showed no expression. “Of course.”

“Does he remember the name Felipe Dominguez?” Her chest tightened as she waited for the answer.

“Yes.”

“Hmm,” she said, hating how the sound seemed almost strangled. She had often wondered if Aaron Brock would remember the Dominguez name. It had been fourteen years and while his actions had changed the course of their lives, it had meant nothing to him. “What did he say?”

He walked back to the bar and leaned his arm on the smooth wooden counter. “I wouldn’t repeat it in front of a lady.”

Serena was tempted to roll her eyes. Why would Cooper think she had delicate sensibilities? She had gained quite a vocabulary during her time living in a seedy neighborhood but it wasn’t nearly as colorful as the language she heard in the financial industry. “And what excuse did he give for his actions?”

The corner of his mouth pulled in a wry, lopsided smile. “My father is not one to give excuses.”

“I’m not surprised,” she murmured.

“He said he had teamed up with Felipe Dominguez while negotiating a deal in Rio de Janeiro. But that Dominguez had tried to double-cross him.” She saw the cold glint of anger in Cooper’s eyes. “My father retaliated.”

It was the bare facts, Serena noticed. Did Cooper know the incredible stress Felipe had been under while working with Brock? Felipe was no match for that bully. Her loving father had gradually become cruel and distant. Serena still longed for the man he used to be.

Cooper’s summary of the events also failed to include the slow decline of her family’s fortune or the devastation they had suffered. “Aaron Brock destroyed everything that belonged to my father.”

“My father was protecting what was his,” Cooper argued.

“And not caring that a mother and child were collateral damage,” she pointed out. The fury, as familiar as a childhood companion, began to swirl inside her. Her mother had suffered more than she had. Beatriz Dominguez had been a vivacious woman but Serena didn’t understand her mother’s fragility until after her parents’ bitter divorce. Too focused on her own loss, Serena hadn’t seen the signs until her mother had a breakdown. Beatriz had never been the same. At times it felt that Serena had switched the mother and daughter roles with Beatriz. She was the minder and the protector and she always felt responsible for not taking better care of Beatriz when it mattered the most.

“What was your father’s side of the story?” Cooper asked. “Did Dominguez betray my father?”

Serena blinked. She hadn’t expected Cooper to ask those questions. She assumed he would show blind loyalty to his family. “Would you believe what I have to say?”

“You were there when it happened,” Cooper responded. “What did you see? What did your father tell you?”

Her father had told her nothing. Absolutely nothing. Everything she knew had been based on what she had witnessed and researched. The man who was supposed to protect and provide for her was unable to stand up to Aaron Brock. It was harder for her to admit he had retaliated in a cowardly manner than the fact that he had failed. “I don’t have to rely on my father’s words to understand the facts.”

Cooper frowned. “Did your father explain anything to you?”

She wished he had. Everyone had hid the truth from her despite her constant questions. Had one more person told her not to worry her pretty little head, she would not have been held accountable for her actions. “My parents are traditional,” she explained. “They would never share financial details with anyone, let alone their only child.”

“They were trying to protect you.”

Did they? She wondered about that. Or were they trying to hide their failures, their shame? She hadn’t felt protected. She had felt powerless and set adrift when they suddenly lost their home with no explanation. Confused when their status and their closest friends fell away. She had been scared when the tension and the fights escalated between her parents. The breakdown of their marriage had run parallel to the destruction of their fortunes. And then her mother’s emotional stability declined sharply. Serena had to become the protector of the family when she didn’t know how.

She would never allow herself to feel that powerless or confused again. She no longer relied on others to take care of her. It had been the only way she had survived. “I’m sure your parents discussed business over the dinner table every night.”

“I’m sure they did,” Cooper drawled. “My parents are obsessed with business.”

She frowned. “But they didn’t discuss it with you?” He had been the heir. She imagined he had been trained for the role as early as possible.

His eyes were wintry. “What are you trying to ask?”

This was it. Now was the time to use the weapons she had spent what felt like a lifetime gathering. “Do you know what kind of businessman your father is?” she asked, her heart pounding hard against her chest. “What do you know about Aaron Brock?”

Cooper considered his next words. He had done a basic investigation on Serena Dominguez and had learned she was more than a financial genius. The woman was wily and tenacious. She managed to uncover information about companies that legal teams had spent millions to hide. What did she know about the Brock empire?

“My father could be a powerful ally or a dangerous enemy.”

“The man was a ruthless bully.” She grounded out the last word. “Look at what he did to my father. Aaron put so much pressure on him to be perfect. My father was in constant fear of failing, of disappointing Aaron.”

Cooper knew what Felipe had suffered but he wasn’t going to sympathize with the man. Cooper had to be perfect and extraordinary in everything he did or he suffered the consequences. But he didn’t react like Felipe. Cooper had more to lose and yet he had found the strength to hold on to his principles. “Felipe tried to double-cross my father but got burned.”

Serena gave a sharp, angry nod. “My father was once a businessman who only needed a handshake to do business. That changed when he started working with your father. Aaron Brock allowed no room for weakness or failure. He tore my father down, piece by piece, until he was just a shell of the man he used to be.”

That had been Aaron’s method throughout Cooper’s childhood, too, but Cooper had refused to complain or give up. He had been driven to prove he was worthy of his father’s hopes. And he had done things he regretted in the pursuit of gaining Aaron’s respect and affection. It took him a long time to realize that nothing he accomplished would make him lovable and worthy to his parents.

But he was their son and heir and he would protect the family empire. He could not allow anything to taint their reputation. Any rumor about his father’s business practices would be a failure.

“Felipe was as pure as snow, was he?” He dipped his head until his face was almost touching hers. He refused to let her faint perfume distract him. He wouldn’t think about how he was just a kiss away from her mouth. “Check your facts, sweetheart,” Cooper said gruffly. “You forget that he betrayed his business partner.”

“My father was a victim, but I never suggested he was innocent.” Serena’s golden eyes glittered with knowing. “I mean, we all have skeletons in our closets, Mr. Brock. I just happen to know every last one of yours.”

He pulled back before he could stop himself. It wasn’t an act of guilt but Serena’s smile was triumphant as if she had hit her target. Did she know everything? His instincts said no. Only he and John Harrington, Jr., knew about his most shameful secret.

“What are you accusing me of?” he asked in an angry hiss. “Go back and look at every deal I’ve made. I have nothing to hide.” Except for one but he had learned his lesson. Sure, some of his deals skirted along the edge of the law, but he had snatched himself back.

She pointed an accusing finger at him. “You know what Aaron did to build his empire and you kept quiet.”

“This is what I know—my father had nothing and made something of himself through blood, sweat and tears.”

“That’s the legend, but you and I know that’s not true.” She poked her finger against his chest. “Your father built his business by extortion, blackmail and corruption. And I can prove it.”